Aaron buebee



(No Model.)

A. BURBEE.

LOCK.

No. 503,648 Patented Aug. 22, 1893.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AARON BURBEE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,648, dated August 22, 1893.

Application filed October 31, 1892.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, AARON BURBEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in looks the object of the invention being to provide a simple and efficient mechanism, pre-eminently adapted for and useful with refrigerators or other inclosin g chambers where a tight and sealed closing of the door is necessary and desirable, and the invention therefore consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention: Figure l is a front elevational view of my improved lock with the casing complete. Fig. 2 is an elevational view with the coyering of the casingremoved so as to expose the interior mechanism of the lock to view. Fig. 3 is an inner perspective view of the catch which engages and holds the bolt. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a double construction of said catch adapted for use with two locks.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout all the different figures of the drawings.

A denotes the lock casing which may be of any suitable size and shape. It is constructed in the ordinary manner and provided with the usual cover removably secured thereon by means of screws. This casing is provided near the lower end with the key-hole E on one of the vertical sides with the slot at and at the top edge with the slot a.

Within the casingA is a horizontal sliding bolt 0, one end of which is adapted to be projected through the slot at in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The bolt 0 is provided with an elongated slot 0 in which is the rigid lug D on the casing A, by means of which lug the bolt 0 is supported in its horizontal position and guided in its horizontal movement. The upper edge of the bolt 0 Serial No. 450,535- (No model.)

is provided with a lug C and the lower edge with a notch 0 B designates an elongated handle which enters the casing A through the upper slot at and which extends for a considerable dist ance above said casing so as to aiford an ample length to be grasped and manipulated. The lower end of this handle B is pivotally attached to the bolt lug O by means of a small round pin cast on said lug and entering a perforation in the end of the handle B. This handle acts as a lever. It rests loosely within the slot at, and it can be readily grasped and thrown from right to left as the case may be, the result of which operation will be to slide the bolt 0 horizontally and project it from its casing or withdraw it into the same. The handle B is preferably rounded and nicely finished so that it will present a neat appearance and will also be easily grasped by the hand of the user.

Below the horizontal bolt 0, within the easing A, is a vertical slide F which is adapted to have a vertical movement and which slides alongside of the keyhole E, being guided in its movement by means of a rigid lug H on the lock casing, which lug projects through an elongated slotfcut in the slide F. The upper end of the slide F is adapted to enter notch C in the bolt O,after the latter has been projected outward through the easing into its locking position and thereby securely hold the said bolt and prevent it from slipping backward. At one side of the slide F are a couple of lugs e e cast on the lock casing,.which lugs receive between them loosely a Hat spring G which bears against the adjacent edge of the slide F in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and holds the same securely so that after it has been lifted into a position of engagement with the bolt C, it cannot drop back until released. The edge of the slide F adjacent to the keyhole E is provided with a curved-sided indentation M. This indentation is adapted for engagement by the bits of the key which may be inserted through the keyhole E. The key will act to lift the slide F so that its upper end will engage the notch 0 Obviously the lock casing which I have just described will be securely fastened to the swinging door of a refrigerator or other artithe edge of the lock casing. The spring 0 is slightly curved so that a portion thereof between its free and riveted end may lie out ward from the surface of the catch N and be compressible against the same as will be clearly seen by referring to Fig. 3. It will therefore be manifest that when the bolt has been shot out through the casing at the slot at, it will come into close contact with the spring 0 of the spring catch, compressing said spring, which in turn will press tightly against the bolt and hold the same securely, thereby enabling the door to form a very tight joint-and eifectuallylocking and securing the same.

Of course .my improved lock may be used either as a right hand or a left hand look. I do not intend to be restricted to either one alone. Further it is oftenfound that two locks will belocated close to each other upon the adjacent edges of two doors between which edges there is a short space. Instead of employing on this short space two of the spring catches N, I construct a compound or double catch P, shown in Fig. 4 which is similar to the catch'N, excepting thatit has two springs 0' 0' formed of a single length of fiat steel riveted at its center and acting substantially like the spring 0, found in Fig. 3. The double catch P is preferably provided with perforated ugspp by means of which it is secured in lace.

p Slight modifications may obviously be made in the exact construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the invention. The catch attachments shown in Figs. 3 and 4, will serve effectuallyin enabling an air tight closure of the refrigerator door or doors. By their use air will be effectually excluded in an easy and simple manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the casing A, having the longitudinal slots at and a, the bolt 0 having the elongated slot 0, the lug D situated within said slot, the indentation or notch O on the lower portion of the bolt, the lug 0' upon the upper portion thereof, the'handle B pivoted to the lug O and projecting through the slot at, the locking slide F adapted to engage the bolt 0 and provided with the slot), the lug H therein, the indentation M and the lugs e 6 provided with the spring G, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a lock, the combination with the lock bolt,- of a spring catch, consisting of a' casing having a flat spring secured on the inner side thereof and adapted to bear against the bolt, substantially as specified.

3. In a lock, the combination with the locking bolt, of the catch consisting of the casing N and the spring 0 secured therein, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AARON BURBEE.

Witnesses:

AMBROSE E. HUGHES, f J OAB D. WOLVERTON. 

